This invention relates to a device for attaching an identification tag to an ear or the like of an animal in which a drive pin member is pivotally mounted for movement between limit positions.
Devices for attaching identification tags to ears of animals are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,731,414, 4,368,735, 4,402,320, 4,451,999, French Pat. No. 2,464,643, and in the copending application Ser. No. 06/713,991 filed Mar. 20, 1985 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,966 issued June 16, 1987.
Drive pin breakage and tag damage resulting from jerk reaction of animals, coupled with failure of the tag body and retainer assembly attached to the animal to separate from the drive pin or other portion of the tag attaching device, has been a long continuing problem.
An object of this invention is to provide such a device which holds both a tag body and a tag retainer as the tag retainer is inserted through an ear of an animal and into position in a socket in the tag body.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a device in which the pressure on drive handles causes rapid relative movement of the tag body and tag retainer with increasing pressure as a transition position is approached and the tag retainer penetrates the animal's ear, and in which further advance of the tag body and tag retainer beyond said transition position to assembled condition in the animal's ear is with reduced driving force supplied as necessary to cause interaction between the tag body and the tag retainer.